Legislation introduced by U.S. Reps. August Pfluger (R-TX) and Rob Menendez (D-NJ) would strengthen telecommunication networks against cyberattacks, officials said.
The bill, the AI for Secure Networks Act, would address the increase in cyberattacks that threaten the security of Americans’ sensitive data and the systems they rely on including phone service, emergency communications, and financial transactions, the law makers said.
“Recent reporting revealed that millions of attacks were launched against U.S. telecommunications providers in a single year,” Pfluger said. “This double-digit percentage spike cost billions of dollars in losses worldwide and put Americans’ privacy and security at risk. While artificial intelligence has unfortunately given our adversaries powerful new tools to launch mass cyberattacks against critical infrastructure, AI can, and should, also be used to harden and defend those same systems… The threat is real, and the United States must act now to secure our networks for the future.”
The legislation would direct the federal government to examine how AI can be used to strengthen the security and resilience of telecommunications networks and to provide a report to Congress that outlines how AI can be used to improve network security through real-time threat and malware detection, as well as evaluates AI’s role in enhancing network security alongside Open Radio Access technology and assesses the cybersecurity risk of the misuse of AI.
“Artificial intelligence holds tremendous potential to strengthen the security and resilience of the telecommunications networks Americans rely on every day,” Menendez said. “As these networks face increasing threats that could disrupt phone service, block access to financial services, or impede emergency response during disasters, we need forward-looking and innovative solutions to protect American families.”